Kees van der Westen Slim Mirage User manual

Slim Jim User manual page 0
User manual Slim Jim Idrocompresso
espresso machines
(Original instructions)
Document ID: Sup-JIum-Eng Date of issue: May 31, 2022 Revision date:

CONTENT
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 1
Designation............................................................................................................................................ 2
Precaution.............................................................................................................................................. 2
Safe operation........................................................................................................................................ 2
Water Quality ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Water mains pressure........................................................................................................................... 4
Parts identification ................................................................................................................................ 5
Bar height............................................................................................................................................... 6
Operational features.............................................................................................................................. 7
MAIN switch......................................................................................................................................... 7
HEAT switches .................................................................................................................................... 7
Circuit breakers ................................................................................................................................... 7
Brew-lever mechanism........................................................................................................................ 8
Flush/relief unit .................................................................................................................................... 9
Adjust resting spring length to match groups.................................................................................... 10
Temperature display.......................................................................................................................... 12
Shot time............................................................................................................................................ 12
Pressure gauge ................................................................................................................................. 13
Dispensing hot water......................................................................................................................... 13
Steaming............................................................................................................................................ 14
Control panel ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Change individual boiler to ECO and back........................................................................................ 15
Go to stand-by................................................................................................................................... 16
Sensor malfunction............................................................................................................................ 17
Start automatic back-flush program .................................................................................................. 17
Technical assistance......................................................................................................................... 18
Use (optional) external temperature sensor...................................................................................... 19
Change settings in the Barista menu................................................................................................ 20
Sub-menu TEMP. SETTING ............................................................................................................. 20
Sub-menu WATER TIMER................................................................................................................ 21
Sub-menus TIMED ON/OFF and TIME/DATE.................................................................................. 21
Why switch to ECO … ....................................................................................................................... 22
… and not to OFF?............................................................................................................................ 22
Water supply pressure-reducer setting ............................................................................................ 23
Adjust................................................................................................................................................. 23
Check................................................................................................................................................. 23
Machine cool-down ............................................................................................................................. 24
Daily to weekly maintenance.............................................................................................................. 25
Use hot water from the machine ....................................................................................................... 25
Clean body ........................................................................................................................................ 25
Daily cleaning .................................................................................................................................... 25
Lubricate and replace piston rings .................................................................................................... 29
Clean group dispersion set................................................................................................................ 31
Replace dispersion base and plate ................................................................................................... 32
Descaling........................................................................................................................................... 32
Check machine condition, report malfunctions............................................................................... 33
Free-flowrate ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Heating element indicator lights ........................................................................................................ 33
Check pressure gauges..................................................................................................................... 34
Opening pressure of expansion valve............................................................................................... 34
Consistency in programmed volumes ............................................................................................... 34
External temperature probe (option) ................................................................................................. 35
Recommended maintenance and service scheme .......................................................................... 36
Service Record .................................................................................................................................... 37
Contact information ............................................................................................................................ 39

Introduction
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 2
Designation
This manual applies to the Slim Jim 2-group (Duette) and 3-group (Triplette) espresso machines with
Idrocompresso operation manufactured by Kees van der Westen Espressonistic Works B.V. A
separate rotational pump with electric motor and adjustable pressure reducer can be part of the
appliance.
Precaution
Hot surfaces!
Parts of the machine will be hot when the machine is turned ON.
•The cup tray is equipped with an active heating element and can reach temperatures up to 75°C.
•The metal groups are intended to radiate heat and can reach a set-temperature of up to 99°C.
Hot water and/or steam!
When the machine is heated up, hot water and steam can escape from various parts of the machine
upon manipulation of a corresponding interface (valve, switch, touch-button, …).
•Activating the group will lead to water being dispensed with a temperature of up to 99°C.
•Activation of the hot water dispense can lead to steam escaping with temperatures up to 130°C as
well.
•Activating the mix-water dispense can lead to overheated water (steam) being dispensed when
the cold-water addition is not set correctly.
•Opening the steam tap will start steam escaping from the steam wand-tips, the steam can reach
temperatures up to 130°C.
Safe operation
•It is possible that the brew-lever returns to resting position with high velocity, force and
momentum. Keep body-parts other than your hand away from the reach of the brew-lever.
•The espresso machine has to be placed in a horizontal position on a sturdy and flat surface.
•If the supply cord is damaged, it must be replaced by the manufacturer, its service agent or
similarly qualified persons in order to avoid a hazard.
•The new hose-sets supplied with the appliance are to be used. Old hose-sets should not be
reused.
•Intended use of the appliance is restricted to well-trained personnel only.
•The appliance must be installed in locations where it can be overseen by trained personnel.
•The appliance may not be left unattended when there is the possibility that children and/or
vulnerable people can reach the machine.
•This appliance can be used by children aged from 8 years and above and persons with reduced
physical, sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge if they have been
given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance in a safe way and understand the
hazards involved. Children shall not play with the appliance. Cleaning and user maintenance shall
not be made by children without supervision.
•The mains electricity the appliance is connected to must include a residual-current-circuit-breaker
of 30 mA.
•The appliance may not be cleaned with the aid of a water jet.
•The appliance is not suited for outdoor use.
•Ambient temperature for correct operation of the appliance is 10-30°C (50-86°F).
•If ambient temperature falls below 5°C (41°F), keep the machine at ECO or ON to prevent freezing
of water inside the machine.
Whenever the machine has been at freezing conditions, ask a technician to start-up the appliance
again.
•It is advised to install a leak prevention system as the appliances is directly connected to the water
mains. An unattended leak can cause serious damage to the premises.

Introduction
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 3
Water Quality
Have a water treatment system installed and its function checked regularly. The treatment system
should at least have a carbon block that not only traps drug-remnants, Chlorine and organic
compounds but also prevents rigid particles >30 μm to enter the pump.
Optimally, the water fed into the espresso machine would fall in the higher part of the SCA “core
zone”, see Figure 1, and have a pH of 7.0-7.5 (at 25°C).
Figure 1. Alkalinity vs-Total Hardness graph showing the SCA “core zone” in green outline.
Besides the Alkalinity and Total Hardness requirements, the water should have the following
properties:
Parameter
Target
Acceptable range
unit
Total Hardness
72
50-175#
ppm
Total Alkalinity
40*#
40-75#
ppm
pH
7.0*
6.5-7.5*, 6.5-8.0#
--
Electrical conductivity
< 3 times Alkalinity
(in ppm)#
μS/cm1
Total Dissolved Solids
150*
75-250*
ppm1
Calcium Hardness
51-68*
17-85*
ppm
Sodium
10*
at or near 10*
ppm
Sulphate
30
0-50
ppm
Chloride
0
0-30
ppm
Silica
0
0-5
ppm
Odour and colour
clean*, fresh*, odour free*, clear*
Taste influencing organic compounds*#
not present
Chlorine#, Hypochlorite#, Chloramines#
Iron#, Lead#, Manganese
* SCAA Technical Standards Committee, 2009: water properties for optimum taste.
# Values from “The SCAE water Chart”(2015?).
Table 1. Showing parameter values for water meant to brew coffee with.
Water with properties that lie within the SCA “core zone”and has correct pH combines technical
aspects enabling a safe operation and sensory aspects yielding a high quality brew, provided the other
parameters are met as well. High brew-ratio’s, as for espresso, shift the optimum of total hardness and
alkalinity towards higher values within the core zone.
1
The conversion from electrical conductivity to TDS depends heavily on the water composition and temperature, yielding results
that can vary significantly. Additionally, even if the estimated TDS value is accurate, it does not contain any information about
what the TDS is actually made up of.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
020 40 60 80 100 120
Total Hardness (ppm CaCO3)
Alkalinity (ppm CaCO3)
SCA
core
zone

Introduction
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 4
Water mains pressure
For best performance, the Idrocompresso requires that water supply pressure at the machine is
constant at a setting within the range 3.0 - 4.0 bar. Since some pressure is lost within a water
treatment system, water mains pressure should be a little higher than 3-4 bar. The optimum water
pressure will depend on the characteristics of the prepared coffee-bed and should be established
experimentally (see page 23).
The machine comes with a pressure reducer that will decrease higher pressure to the set value. It will
even out pressure fluctuations, provided that mains pressure is always high enough (constantly above
the set pressure). See Figure 2: when your water line pressure is high enough to produce over 4 bar
downstream of the water treatment system, you will not need a pump to increase water pressure. If
water pressure ever drops to below 3 bar, we advice that you install a pump. If water pressure at any
time of operation is known to fall below 2 bar, the optional pump (or other pressure increasing device)
is a must.
water
mains
> 4 bar
water
treatment
one-way
valve
pressure
reducer
3-4 bar
Slim Jim
Idro-
compresso
water
mains
< 2 bar
water
treatment
one-way
valve
required
pump
5-6 bar
pressure
reducer
3-4 bar
Slim Jim
Idro-
compresso
Figure 2. Depending on water mains pressure you may need a pump or not. With water mains
pressure in the range 2-4 bar the users should experimentally decide if the pressure at the machine is
high enough for proper pre-infusion.

WELCOME
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 5
Parts identification
Figure 3. Showing the main operational parts of the Slim Jim Duette Idrocompresso version with fat-
tube legs. The Slim Jim Triplette has three groups but its functions are identical to the Duette.
1. Right hand group 3-digit display (shot-timer and/or temperature)
2. Main switch (switches power to everything but the heating circuits)
3. Heat switches 1, 2 and 3 (switches power to steam boiler and group heating)
4. (Centre group 3-digit display; only on Triplette: shot-timer and/or temperature)
5. Capacitive interface and display of controller
6. Left hand group 3-digit display (shot-timer and/or temperature)
7. Flush and relief handle
8. Group
9. Group lever
10. Hot water spout
11. Hot water button switch (mix-water)
12. Hot water toggle switch (hot water only)
13. Coffee brew pressure gauge (right group)
14. Steam valve (right)
15. Steam wand (right)
A. Cup-rack (glass-look version)
B. Drip-tray
Not visible on this photo:
•Green indicator lights for heating spirals (one for each spiral; see page 33)
•Connection for external temperature probe (see page 35).
8
10
B
A
7
15
14
13
11
12
1
2
3
(4)
5
6
9

Introduction
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 6
Bar height
It requires force to pull the lever. For easiest operation it is advised to have the centre of the handle at
approximately the same height of the operators’ eyes. Ideal bar height thus depends on average
length of the operators and type of machine legs.
Figure 4. Ideal machine height (left) will be a compromise with baristas of different length (right). When
the operator is 175 cm tall, the ideal bar height will be 85 cm for machines with other than caterpillar
legs. With caterpillar legs, add 7 cm bar-height.
Figure 5. Height of centre of handle above bar. With caterpillar legs (right) the height above bar is
appr. 77 cm. For all other type of legs (left) the height is 82 cm.
Figure 6. “Ideal” bar height as function of barista length. With caterpillar legs, increase bar height with
4-5 cm.
55
65
75
85
95
105
115
145 155 165 175 185 195 205
bar height (cm)
barista length (cm)
82 cm
77 cm
175 cm
85 cm

Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 7
Operational features
MAIN switch
Notes!
The machine will re-start over and over again when the capacitive screen is touched during start-up.
Dirt and remnants of detergent may unexpectedly activate the capacitive screen. If the machine does
not start up properly, clean the surface of the capacitive screen with plain water and a soft cloth.
The main switch (see Figure 7) is located at the right hand side of the machine and has 2 positions:
DOWN=OFF Power to the controller is disconnected. When the machine is functioning correctly, all
heating is also off, whatever the position of the heat switches. With a malfunction it is
however possible that one (or more) heating elements/sections are still active.
UP=ON The machine is connected to the electric mains, but power to the heating elements will
remain disconnected as long as the heat switches are still off. The machine functions
but the boilers will not heat. The optional cup-heater may function if it is turned on.
Figure 7. Showing the three HEAT switches, the MAIN switch and a blank TEMP/TIMER (3-digit)
display.
HEAT switches
Heating power to the machine is split in three different circuits. Each circuit can be (dis-)connected
individually. The heating element of the steam boiler consists of a lower, middle and upper section.
Notes!
The boilers will not heat up when the HEAT switches are in the OFF position.
With the main switch in OFF position, the boilers should not heat up, irrespective of the position of the
HEAT switches. With a malfunction, heating may be ON even with the main switch in OFF position.
1. HEAT 1 powers the left group heating element and the lower section of the steam boiler heating
element.
2. HEAT 2 powers the central (Triplette) or right (Duette) group heating element and the middle
section of the steam boiler heating element.
3. HEAT 3 powers the right group heating element (Triplette only) and the upper section of the steam
boiler heating element.
Circuit breakers
The machine has an individual breaker for each of the four electrical circuits in the machine (main-
circuit plus 3 heat-circuits). When one of the circuits has a malfunction (electric short), the
corresponding breaker will cut power to that circuit only. If the main-circuit breaker is activated the
machine will be completely inoperable but if a single heat-circuit breaker is activated the rest of the
machine will remain functional.
The circuit breakers are located within the electrics tray and cannot be accessed by the barista. If a
circuit breaker is activated, have a technician check and repair the machine as soon as possible.

Operation
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 8
Brew-lever mechanism
Pulling the brew-lever towards you activates valves, lifts a piston and shortens a spring. The brew-
lever will lock into position when maximum upward-travel of the piston is reached. When the brew-
lever is very close to the locking position, a valve is opened such that water can flow into the cylinder
and pre-infusion starts under incoming water pressure. When the machine is equipped with the
optional pump, the pump will activate at that moment as well. Active-duration of the pump can be
adjusted per individual group in the “water timer” section of the Barista level under “PUMP-ON-TIME”.
In a lever-group, spring force on a piston is used to obtain
elevated water pressure onto the coffee bed. At resting
position the spring is already shortened, pulling the brew-
lever towards you shortens the spring even more. With
the brew-lever returning to resting position, water
pressure onto the coffee-bed thus decreases during the
brew as the piston moves down and the stressed spring
relaxes. Typical lever mechanism brew-pressure profile
from start to end of a brew is approximately 9 to 6 bar.
You would normally perform a short flush (see next), lock
in the prepared portafilter, confidently2pull the brew-lever
into locked position, wait until you see the first drop of
coffee in the cup and then release the brew-lever to
extract at elevated pressure.
Pressing the release pin on top of the grip will release the
lock, the stressed spring then forces the piston down
which pressurises the water flowing through the coffee-
bed. Very shortly after the brew lever has left lock-position
a valve in the machine closes such that no more water
can flow from the machine towards the cylinder or vice
versa.
Total down-travel of the piston will result in approximately
60 ml of water being pushed through the coffee-bed,
enough for two single espressos.
When the lever returns to resting position, the electric
circuit is opened, the relief valve will de-activate.
The Bowden cable on the back of the brew-lever
mechanism operates two switches inside the machine.
The first switch will start/stop the shot-timer and close the
relief valve, the second switch will allow water to flow from
the machine to the cylinder and instructs the optional
pump to start.
Figure 8. The brew-lever mechanism.
Danger
Despite the measures taken to reduce the danger, under certain circumstances (obstructed water
flow, no coffee-bed, portafilter not properly locked in) it is possible that the brew-lever returns to
resting position with high velocity, force and momentum. Keep body-parts other than your hand away
from the reach of the brew-lever.
2
If you pull the brew-lever (very) slowly or when the coffee-bed is not prepared properly, it is likely that
air is sucked through the coffee-bed into the cylinder before water enters the cylinder. Upon release,
the brew-lever will not feel firm and the shot volume will be less than expected.
brew
lever
lock
mechanism
release
pin

Operation
Slim Jim Idrocompresso User manual page 9
Flush/relief unit
The function of the flush/relief handle depends on the position of the brew lever:
flush
If the brew lever is in resting position (up)
pressing the handle shortly will temporarily
activate 2 valves (and engage the optional
pump), resulting in a flush of adjustable amount
of seconds.
The LED is lit during the flush.
relief
If the handle is pressed during a brew, 2 valves
are dis-engaged (and the optional pump dis-
engaged when no other group is forcing the
pump to be active) such that remaining
pressurised water is led to the drain.
It effectively stops a brew-in-progress and the
brew-lever will return to resting position quickly.
This function can be used to pull a ristretto
without mess.
The LED is lit during a brew.
Figure 9. Flush/relief unit.
Flush-duration can be adjusted in the “water timer” section of the Barista level under “FLUSH TIME”.
Notes!
Be careful when using the relief handle, the brew-lever will quickly return to resting position.
When you pull the lever out of resting position to make a new brew while a flush is in progress, the
flush is ended immediately.
flush/relief
handle
LED